For more than 30 years, Katherine Tuttle, M.D., FASN, and executive director of research at Providence has dedicated her career to improving the lives of people living with chronic kidney disease, diabetes and heart disease. Now, that work has earned her two of the American Heart Association's (AHA) highest honors.
For more than 30 years, Katherine Tuttle, M.D., FASN, and executive director of research at Providence has dedicated her career to improving the lives of people living with chronic kidney disease, diabetes and heart disease. Now, that work has earned her two of the American Heart Association's (AHA) highest honors. The AHA honored Dr. Tuttle with its 2026 Clinical Research Prize and its 2026 Distinguished Scientist Award.
The Clinical Research Prize recognizes scientists whose research has directly changed patient care. The Distinguished Scientist Award recognizes a lifetime of contributions to science and medicine.
Dr. Tuttle is the first person to receive both awards in the same year.
"I am deeply honored to receive this recognition from the American Heart Association," Dr. Tuttle said. "Throughout my career, I have focused on collaboration to advance clinical research and improve the lives of people living with cardiovascular, kidney and metabolic diseases."
Changing How Doctors Treat CKM Syndrome
Heart disease, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, and obesity are closely connected. Together, these conditions are known as cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome.
Throughout her career, Dr. Tuttle’s research has focused on how to better understand CKM syndrome and how providers can provide better care for patients living with it.
Her research advanced therapies to reduce the risk of kidney failure, heart attacks, strokes and premature death for people living with chronic kidney disease. She has also played a leading role in studies helping to establish new treatment approaches for people living with chronic kidney disease.
"The greatest reward of all now is arriving in the clinic to prescribe the very medicine we conceptualized years earlier in our studies to unravel the pathophysiology of CKM syndrome," Dr. Tuttle said.
Advancing Research at Providence
As executive director for research at Providence, Dr. Tuttle continues to lead efforts focused on improving prevention, treatment and outcomes for people living with chronic disease.
She also leads the CURE-CKD Registry, one of the nation's largest real world databases focused on chronic kidney disease, diabetes, and hypertension. The registry includes information from more than seven million patients across Providence and UCLA Health. It helps researchers better understand disease and identify opportunities to improve patient care.
In addition to leading research studies, Dr. Tuttle has helped shape national treatment guidelines and mentored physician-scientists throughout her career.
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